#i took one look at that post then thought of the hoshino family and immediately had to go lie down

[penguinkyun]

Ruby...Aqua...I love you

—

the love was there

[emmacifer]

Appreciation post for Ryo Hoshino

Where do I even begin to collect my thoughts about Hoshino?...Okay  ok. So as the whole fandom knows, Hoshino is a jewel. (Change my mind, I dare you.) But in the series, we see him being bitter and distant to Haru at first, talking only business-like and not bothering to count Haru in. We also see that when Haru was in First Division, he was paired with Hoshino and boy, they. Were. A. Team. 

Hoshino looked up to Haru, admired him, admired his courage and strength, admired Haru’s mindset and behavior, motives, admired Haru overall. Hoshino probably WANTED TO BE like Haru.

The point where things went a little chaotic then cold between the two of them was obviously after Haru left First Division. Ryo undoubtedly didn’t want Haru to leave. But for the sake of his own feelings, Hoshino is the only one in First Division who at least have some respect for Modern Crimes Department, because Haru is there.

Another thing is that Haru dominates whichever department he is in. Haru is bold, selfless, hardworking and dedicated. We saw how responsible he was when he was in First Division, and even in Modern Crimes, Haru doesn’t shy away from duty like some others. He is up for whatever task, shitty or critical, that they are assigned. He is willing to take whatever punishment he gets for doing justice because that’s what he believes in.

Hoshino’s trait of being serious about his job was probably influenced by Haru, or strengthened by him. Whatever case comes up, we see Hoshino taking charge of the situation with systematic approach (unlike...ahem...Daisuke, lol). This might just be because other characters in First Division does not play as serious a role in the series as Hoshino, but in ep 3, we see Hoshino continue to try talking to the boy on the train because Haru said so instead of threatening to shoot him like he was ordered. Hoshino thanks Daisuke for his help afterwards. Also in ep 9, though Hoshino took Haru into custody because he was a suspect, he ran and released him immediately after finding Haru’s resignation letter. He was the one who drove Haru to “Shigemaru’s” ship, the one who was by Haru on the phone the whole time Haru was investigating on that ship. 

He obviously misses ‘Hero Haru’ but does not know how to bring Hero Haru back. So Hoshino notices when Haru is changing in behavior because of Daisuke, and he is more than happy for it. He feels grateful towards Daisuke for bringing back Hero Haru again, though Haru was always a hero in the first place. That’s why he said what he said when Haru was mounting the chopper at the end of ep 10. 

All things aside, let us focus on one thing...a tiny thing...

DO YOU SEE HOW CUTE HIS SMILE IS? DO YOU? DO YOU????????? CAN U IMAGINE THAT SMILE FLASHING EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE HE WAS SPENDING TIME WITH HARU WHEN HARU WAS WITH HIM? CAN U IMAGINE HIM WITH HIS FAMILY SMILING LIKE THAT? WITH KIDS? WITH HIS GF/BF WHOEVER? CAN U IMAGINE RYO HOSHINO SMILING ALL THE TIME? HE IS A LITERAL BABY. Don’t get me wrong. I am a big Daiharu fan and all about their bromance. Daiharu is the power pair of fkbu, but no one can deny that Ryo Hoshino is an serious soft boi who just wants to work with Haru again. He even kept Haru’s First Division thingy and came to give it back to him in the final ep, just to see Haru leave with Daisuke and do the same thing to Daisuke, giving back his badge. I am very late to appreciate Ryo Hoshino and feel shitty for it.

[agirlinjapan]

Red Data Girl: My Longest Day of School (Week 2)

Red Data Girl: My Longest Day of School By Noriko Ogiwara A Translation

Miss the last piece? Read it here!

Check out the RDG Translation twitter!

Yay! It’s the July 4th weekend and I’m home for most of the week! Things are going well. I graduate from graduate school in less than a month, my birthday’s in about two weeks, and I’m sitting on some big (good) news that I can’t wait to share. I was hoping to have already been able to share it but I have to wait until it’s official.

RDG’s a little short this week and it ends a bit abruptly. Sorry. I couldn’t find a good stop point. Things are definitely beginning to progress though! We’ve made it to the start of the festival!

Notes on this week’s translation:

Tabi socks have come up a bunch of times in RDG before. The tabi Izumiko and the others are wearing with their kuroko costumes are intended to be worn as shoes, not just socks. As you can see in this picture, there’s a thick sole on them.

I’m honestly a little stumped by Manatsu’s reference to Izumiko’s buns as “China girl” hair. Is it a hairstyle? I googled it and I did get the buns but I got a bunch of other hairstyles too.... The term was written in katakana (Japanese English) so it’s a direct translation and a reference to something. Does anyone know? Edit: Readers have reminded me Chun-Li from Street Fighter and Mei Lin from Cardcaptor Sakura both wear buns like Izumiko’s. The style is at least refered to as “China girl” buns in Street Fighter.

Red Data Girl: My Longest Day of School By Noriko Ogiwara Chapter 1: Groundwork Part 1 (2 of 3)

The morning of the first day—

The kuroko outfits were so easy to put on that it was laughable.

After changing into the costume in one of the lounge’s side rooms with Mayura, Izumiko was so comfortable in it that she wanted to dance. The other student government members who had been dreading the experience of wearing unfamiliar period clothing felt more or less the same as she did. It didn’t take them long to get used to wearing the kuroko.

The black pants that made up the lower portion of the costume were not much different from loose fitting sweatpants. The upper portion consisted of a black shirt held tight with a thin cloth belt. There were also black gloves, black arm gaiters, and a hooded hat with a gauzy piece of black fabric that covered their faces. Once they had put all this on, their costumes were complete. The only other thing left was their footwear which were easy to walk in, stiff-soled tabi socks.

Gazing at her reflection in the side room’s mirror, Izumiko abruptly thought of something.

“Hey, these kuroko costumes make us look like ninjas, don’t they?” she said to Mayura who was standing beside her.

“The ones you see in the movies, sure,” Mayura responded wryly. Her family was descended from real ninjas. “But spying in the dark of night and dressing in black clothing is just what everyone expects ninjas to do. We’re grateful for that stereotype because the truth is completely different.”

“It’s different?”

“Real ninjas wouldn’t have such low level skills in the art of escape. If they were seen in the middle of a bright afternoon, black clothes would make them stand out even more.”

“You’re right… That would make them stand out,” Izumiko repeated, realizing this for the first time.

Mayura continued speaking.

“President Kisaragi chose kuroko as a special privilege for all the students overseeing the festival. The rule of kuroko is even though you notice the people wearing them, you’re supposed to pretend you don’t. While that might be the case, it doesn’t mean lots of people won’t be watching us.”

…I see…

When they returned to the lecture hall, Izumiko immediately saw that Mayura’s words had been true. Every black clad member of the student government stood out in the open space. This was mostly due to the fact that the other student volunteers were still working in their gym uniforms.

Once the stage they were building in the lecture hall was mostly complete, the festival committee students began to change into their Warring States era clothing as well. When the student government members were the only ones left gathered in the room, their all-black outfits made them look a bit like a band of robbers. Glancing around at themselves, a peal of laughter bubbled up from everyone.

Izumiko gazed at Mayura, President Jean Hodoka Kisaragi, and the other girls in the student government. She could understand a little better why the festival committee president had said it was a waste for the student government members to be dressed all in black. The only thing showy about their outfits was the fabric hiding their faces. She began to wish she was wearing a more colorful costume.

On the other hand though, the kuroko costumes were so unusual that they were impressive. Manatsu Souda and Miyuki Sagara looked so good in their outfits that even Izumiko surreptitiously glanced their way. Unfortunately for them, they looked even better in kuroko than they did in their school uniforms.

This didn’t have to do with the fact that Manatsu was the descendent of a family of ninjas and Miyuki was the descendent of ascetic monks. Izumiko knew that things like that weren’t easily ascertained through outward appearances anymore.—Manatsu’s father, as well as Miyuki’s father, were the type of people who did not look anything like what they actually were. All the same, the decision to wear the black outfits somehow seemed reflect Manatsu and Miyuki’s place as their sons.

The girls in the student government unabashedly let them know how very cool they looked. This in itself was normal—the two of them had fan clubs. However, when Izumiko thought about how the boys’ popularity had risen during the festival, her stomach clenched uneasily.

Mayura did say that a lot of couples get together during the festival…

The second year boys, Hoshino and Okouchi had been assigned to work with the specialists who had come in for the festival instead of with the rest of the students. Even so, they too were looking sharp in their kuroko. Overall, the outfit probably looked good on any boy.

Honoka stopped smiling and looked around at the student government.

“We’ve made it to the day of the festival. Today, our role is to think about the two military forces that will be in play tomorrow. I want you to keep an eye on where our two home bases will be. Get an idea of how the two teams will move around during the whole school event. Make sure that anything that could become a problem doesn’t. Also, it’s been clearly stated in the visitor pamphlets that anyone with questions should talk to students in kuroko. So be polite when you’re taking care of people. I’m sure you’re all interested in how your own classes are doing but keep a neutral attitude.”

When everyone nodded, Honoka told them that the president of the festival committee, Hayakawa, was standing by in the school building’s second floor broadcasting room.

“If anything bad happens, he’ll make announcements with information from there. Hayakawa will also be in charge announcing the team breakdown for the all school event. Now, we’ll be having student government meetings here at 11:30, 2, and at the end of the day.”

The student government members took the individual time schedules that Okouchi had put together. Once they were stowed inside their shirts, they left the room.

Izumiko was glad to see that she had escaped first patrol. She wanted to visit Class 1-C’s food stand first.

She knew she had to stay neutral but she couldn’t help but be curious about which class’s attraction would win the popularity vote. As a member of the cooking group, she had put a lot of energy into the stand up until today.

Seeing as Manatsu’s patrol hadn’t begun either, they walked together to their classroom.

Manatsu glanced towards Izumiko and said with a laugh, “I didn’t recognized you for a second without your braids. They’re definitely your trademark.”

Izumiko gave a strained smile.

“People have always said that. They only notice my braids.”

“That’s not what I meant. But what did you do with your hair today?”

Izumiko touched the edge of the fabric covering her head. “It’s still in braids but I started them higher up than usual and wound them into buns,” she explained to Manatsu. “Mayura helped me.”

“Like a China girl?”

“That’s what Mayura said too. She said it looked more Chinese than something from the Warring States era.”

“I want to see the buns! Show me!”

Manatsu looked at her expectantly but Izumiko shook her head.

“No. They don’t match the festival theme. I can’t take the hood off until the end of the day.”

It was embarrassing that she couldn’t stop wearing her braids on a day when everyone was in costume but she had to keep her hair bound. They had to lessen the danger of the goddess appearing, even if it was just by a little. Until she knew for sure that her mother’s recommendation to keep her hair braided was no longer valid at all, she didn’t have the courage to stop.

All the same, it was a huge change for her to not have the two braids brushing against the top of her shoulders. That difference was a decent disguise in itself. As soon as she saw the other students passing by in Warring States era costumes, excitement began to grow inside of her.

Anyone who saw the classroom building would know that its atmosphere was completely different from normal.

The walls and windows were covered in traditional looking posters and signs. Here and there, a Warring States era banner was visible as well. The day’s schedule was posted everywhere and students dressed in military uniforms and traveler’s outfits stood around, holding boards advertising the day’s events. The reception table had been set up to look like a tent in a war encampment.

“This is great! Everyone worked so hard!” Manatsu exclaimed.

“The people who come are going to love it,” Izumiko said excitedly but then her expression clouded and she looked at Manatsu. She had just remembered that many of the people who would be in attendance today were involved with the trouble at the school.

It was obvious that a group of diviners had put together a special barrier on the campus. However, the Souda siblings hadn’t definitively said how they were planning to oppose Takayanagi.

“What’s going to happen today? Manatsu, can you feel the effects of the diviners’ barrier now?”

“I don’t really know what’s going to happen but something will. Probably.”

He didn’t deny that he could feel the barrier but he didn’t look worried either.

“With that said though, it’s better not to think something’s going to happen before it does. Let’s have lots of fun at the school festival while we can. At festivals, the people who have the most fun are the ones who win.”

“…I guess you could say that.”

Miyuki would never have said such an easy going thing. Even Manatsu’s sister, Mayura probably wouldn’t have either. Still, Manatsu’s carefree mood was infectious and Izumiko quickly felt herself relaxing.

Before they even arrived in the classroom, it was clear that Class 1-C was fighting hard to win the popularity vote. Izumiko and Manatsu, who hadn’t helped in the classroom the day before, gave a cheer when they saw the fancy sign outside the door.

The giant, two sided board read, “The winds of change are quickly approaching,” and “Peasant uprising.”

The design and color usage had been created to look like a fishing boat with a large haul. After seeing all the austere, traditionally Japanese colors used around the rest of the festival, anyone who saw this sign would think its art was far too blinding with its use of primary colors.

“It’s amazing,” Manatsu said.

When they walked through the door it was as if they were outside. The room had been decorated with theater props, creating a forest of pine trees and bamboo. During the festival planning time, the class had found scenery and props they could rent in a catalogue. It appeared that they had been able to choose what they wanted from there.

No one had bothered to research historical accuracy while building the “winds of change cotton candy” and “coup d’état yakisoba” stands but the torii depicting the entrance to a shrine in one corner of the classroom was unique. The concept had been to make the room look like a shrine festival. The class had constructed a small shrine in the middle of the room, complete with fox statues that faced each other on either side of the entrance. It was an Inari shrine.

Keep reading!

[recentanimenews]

My Week in Manga: November 27-December 3, 2017

My News and Reviews

The most recent manga giveaway at Experiments in Manga is currently underway! The winner will be announced on Wednesday, so there’s still a little time left to enter for a chance to win four of Kodansha Comics’ print debuts from 2017: Haruko Kumota’s Descending Stories: Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju, Lily Hoshino’s Kigurumi Guardians, Haruko Ichikawa’s Land of the Lustrous, and Musawo’s Love & Lies. (Also, a couple other giveaways are going on right now that I would like to highlight: The Manga Test Drive’s annual holiday giveaway and Taneka Stott’s third annual queer comics giveaway.) Last week I finally managed to post the in-depth review that I’ve been working on for a while now, taking a closer look at Knights-Errant, Volume 1 by Jennifer Doyle. Knights-Errant is a fantastic comic, a queer-positive, dark historical fantasy with a compelling story and characters. I highly, highly recommend the series. (It can also be read online for free at Sparkler Monthly!) Initially I was intending to write one more in-depth review before the year was over (and before I retire Experiments in Manga), but after some thought I think that Knights-Errant will have the honor of receiving the last. However, I am still working on and will be posting my random musings on some of year’s notable releases, so there is that to look forward to.

Quick Takes

Arakawa Under the Bridge, Omnibus 1 (equivalent to Volumes 1-2) by Hikaru Nakamura. My introduction to Arakawa Under the Bridge was through its anime adaptation, an incredibly quirky and bizarre work which I found to be highly entertaining. Only later did I discover that the creator of the original manga was also the creator of Saint Young Men, a series that I hope might one day be translated as well. (Despite interest from fans and publishers alike, Saint Young Men has been unlicensable for the North American market, but I can’t help hoping that if Arakawa Under the Bridge is successful that might change.) Arakawa Under the Bridge is an absolutely ridiculous manga and I enjoyed it immensely. The chapters are short and somewhat episodic so the narrative flow can be disjointed, but Nakamura eventually develops a nice rhythm as more of the increasingly large, and strange, cast is introduced. The absurdity of the characters is really what makes Arakawa Under the Bridge work. I’m particularly fond of Sister, an ex-mercenary who crossdresses as a nun, but the manga is filled with astonishing personalities.

A Polar Bear in Love, Volume 1 by Koromo. Stories about star-crossed lovers aren’t especially rare, but none in my experience are quite like A Polar Bear in Love. Granted, at this point only one of the pair is actually in love. As impossible as it seems, Mr. Polar Bear as fallen for Li’l Seal. Understandably, considering the normal order of the food chain, Li’l Seal is a bit concerned by this. They’re both males, too, but the real issue is that Li’l Seal expects to be eaten at any moment. The power dynamics are a little tricky, but over the course of the first volume, Mr. Polar Bear demonstrates the earnestness of his love and at least tries not to be too pushy about his feelings. Li’l Seal slowly realizes he might not actually be on the menu, but that’s not going to solve everything about their relationship, either. A Polar Bear in Love can be both incredibly adorable and surprisingly dark, occasionally even at the same time. Even while being anthropomorphized, Li’l Seal and and Mr. Polar Bear also have to face more realistic concerns of survival. On the surface A Polar Bear in Love is delightfully silly manga, but it also has a thing or two to say about love and relationships.

To Your Eternity, Volume 1 by Yoshitoki Oima. I have been following Oima’s progress as an artist and storyteller with great interest. Oima’s first major work was the manga adaptation of Tow Ubukata’s novel Mardock Scramble, parts of which I actually greatly preferred over its source material. However, what really impressed me was her powerful original series, A Silent Voice. When Kodansha Comics announced it would be releasing To Your Eternity, Oima’s current ongoing series, I immediately took note and looked forward to reading it with great anticipation. The first chapter of To Your Eternity is one of the most beautifully devastating narratives that I’ve read in a while and it seems as though it may only be a prelude for what is to come. (It also includes a fairly significant plot twist which makes the series a little difficult to discuss without giving away major spoilers.) Oima has created a complex fantasy world complete with it’s own legends and lore exploring the meaning of life and loyalty to family and community. To Your Eternity is absolutely heartbreaking, unsettling, and striking in both its story and artwork. I definitely plan on reading more.

By: Ash Brown